This member of the Nolinaceae family was given this name by
Joseph Nelson Rose in 1906. It is found
in central Mexico, growing in a well drained soil with
little to some water and lots of sun. The caudex can grow to a
meter and a half
centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to four metres in
height. The
flowers are crème coloured.

Mark E. Olsen write:
Beaucarnea purpusii is restricted in its distribution to a few
relatively high dry tropical localities. It is remarkable for being
highly branched, often with many stout trunks and a relatively
slender base. The leaves of this species are broader than those of
Beaucarnea stricta, which grows nearby, and can accumulate
along the branches in very dense, long-lived mats. Like the other
dryland species of the clade, the bark of Beaucarnea purpusii
is very thick and furrowed.